The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, both 35, initially reacted to the engagement news in a statement. “We are very excited for Harry and Meghan,” it read. “It has been wonderful getting to know Meghan and to see how happy she and Harry are together.”

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace on November 27, 2017 in London, England.Karwai Tang/WireImage

“It was exciting. I mean I’ve – you know I’d been seeing her for a period of time when I – literally didn’t tell anybody at all. And then William was longing to meet her and so was Catherine, so you know being our neighbors we managed to get that in a couple of – well quite a few times now and Catherine has been absolutely,” Prince Harry recalled on Monday. Markle interjected: “Wonderful. Amazing, as has William as well.”